A hotel room is a bedroom and bathroom. An efficiency is a single room with sleeping space and its own kitchen. A suite adds a separate living or sitting area, and often a kitchen or kitchenette too. Which one fits your family comes down to two questions: will you cook, and does anyone need their own space?
Here is how the three compare, and what each one looks like at Ocean Park Resort in Myrtle Beach.
The quick comparison
| Hotel room | Efficiency | Suite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layout | One room for sleeping | One room for sleeping and cooking | Sleeping area plus a separate sitting or living area |
| Kitchen | Usually a small refrigerator and microwave at most | Yes, a kitchen in the room | Often a kitchen or kitchenette |
| Best for | Short stays, eating out every meal | Couples and small families who want to cook | Families who want room to spread out |
What is a hotel room?
A standard hotel room gives you beds, a bathroom and not much else. It works well when the room is just a place to sleep between beach days and you plan to eat out. At Ocean Park, our Partial Ocean View Standard Room has two full beds, one bathroom, a private balcony with a partial ocean view, a small refrigerator, a coffee maker and a microwave, and sleeps four. The Partial Ocean View King Room is the same idea with one king bed, for two.
What is an efficiency hotel room?
An efficiency is a hotel room with a kitchen built in. You sleep, cook and eat in the same room, so it’s compact, but you can make breakfast, pack a beach lunch and keep your own groceries.
Ocean Park’s efficiencies are oceanfront, with a private balcony or patio and a kitchen with an oven, stovetop, microwave and refrigerator:
- Oceanfront King Efficiency: one king bed, sleeps two.
- Oceanfront Queen Efficiency: two queen beds, sleeps four.
What is a suite?
A suite separates sleeping from living. Usually that means a bedroom area plus a sitting area, so one person can read while the kids nap, or the grown-ups can stay up after bedtime without waking anyone. Many suites at beach resorts also include a kitchen or kitchenette.
Ocean Park has four:
- Oceanfront One Bedroom: two queen beds, a spacious sitting area and a kitchenette with a stovetop and microwave, on an oceanfront balcony. Sleeps six.
- Oceanfront One Bedroom Deluxe: a bedroom with two full beds, a living room with a Murphy bed, a kitchen with full-size appliances including a dishwasher, and a washer and dryer, on an oceanfront balcony. Sleeps six.
- Oceanfront 2 Bedroom with King: a king bedroom, a second bedroom with two full beds, a Murphy bed in the living room, a full-size kitchen with a dishwasher, a washer and dryer, two bathrooms and two oceanfront balconies. Sleeps eight.
- Pool View One Bedroom: a king bed, a queen sleeper sofa, a fully equipped kitchen, a washer and dryer, and a whirlpool tub. It overlooks the pool rather than the ocean. Sleeps four.
All six of our kitchen layouts are compared side by side on our Oceanfront Suites with Kitchens page.
Hotel suite vs. room: which is worth it?
A suite or efficiency usually costs more per night than a standard room, so it pays off when you use what it adds:
- You’ll cook. Even a few breakfasts and packed lunches add up over a week. An efficiency or a suite with a kitchen is the way to go.
- You have young kids. A separate sitting area means nap time and early bedtimes don’t put the whole room to bed.
- You’re staying a week or longer. A kitchen and some elbow room matter more each day. A washer and dryer, which three of our suites have, help too.
- You’re out all day and eating out. A standard room is the simple choice.
Frequently asked questions
What is an efficiency room?
An efficiency is a single hotel room with a kitchen, so you sleep, cook and eat in one space. At Ocean Park Resort, the oceanfront efficiencies include an oven, stovetop, microwave and refrigerator.
What is the difference between a suite and an efficiency?
An efficiency is one room with a kitchen. A suite has a separate living or sitting area in addition to the sleeping area, and may or may not include a kitchen.
What is the difference between a hotel suite and a room?
A hotel room is a single space for sleeping. A suite adds a separate sitting or living area, giving you more space and usually more amenities.
Do Ocean Park’s rooms have kitchens?
The efficiencies, the Oceanfront One Bedroom Deluxe, the Oceanfront 2 Bedroom with King and the Pool View One Bedroom have full kitchens, and the Oceanfront One Bedroom has a kitchenette. The Partial Ocean View Standard Room and King Room have a small refrigerator and a microwave.
Compare every layout on our Rooms page, then check dates and book direct.
